Teen falls into scalding water during seizure, burning 30 percent of body

(WJBK) - A Garden City teen suffers a seizure and fell in scalding water, he is now being treated for severe burns.

Producer note: Some of the images used in this story are graphic.

"Thank God he is alive," said Scott Griffith, his father. "One of the hardest things, the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with."

Scott Griffith's 17-year-old son Skylar has been in the Trauma Burn Intensive Care Unit at U of M Hospital for more than a week now after a freak accident in their Garden City home.

"He'd have a better chance getting hit by lightning than what happened to him," Griffith said.

The Belleville High School student was drawing hot water for a bath when he had a seizure, falling face first into the scalding hot water.

"I knocked on the door, he didn't answer so I knocked on it even harder," said Brooke Griffith. "And when he didn't answer, my dad's room is right there. I ran and got my dad and told him 'Hey there's something wrong with Skyler.'"

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"When I opened the door, the seizure was over so he wasn't moving," said Griffith. "He was draped over the tub, water running and I thought he was dead."

Had his sister Brooke not taken action when she heard Skylar struggling, he likely would be.

Skylar burned 30 percent of his body. He underwent a six-hour skin graft procedure and is now on a long, costly road to recovery.

"He'll probably be in the hospital here for a month, minimum," Griffith said. "And then months of therapy to get the skin stretched so it still has range of motion and all of that stuff."

Skylar's aunt started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay the insurance deductible. His father, a salesman for Wallside Windows, has scaled back drastically to be by Skylar's side.

"He's in pain level 8, 9, 10 right now," his father said. "And that's on some heavy narcotics.

Despite the pain Skylar is keeping positive attitude about things and his family is doing the same.